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Gray Eagle #7
Bittersweet Ecstasy
Book by Taylor, Janelle
512 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
52 people are currently reading
324 people want to read
About the author
Janelle Taylor
101 books243 followersThe legendary Janelle Taylor was born on June 28, 1944 in Athens, GA. In 1965, she married Michael Taylor with whom she had two children, Angela Taylor-MacIntyre and Alisha Taylor Thurmond. Ms. Taylor attended the Medical College of Georgia from 1977 to 1979 and Augusta State University from 1980-1981. She withdrew from the latter after she sold her first two novels. Today, she is the author of thirty-nine novels, three novellas, and many contributions to other collections. There are thirty-nine million copies of her works in print worldwide and she has made The New York Times Bestseller List eight times. Ms. Taylor's works have also been featured ten times on the "1 million +" bestseller's list at Publisher's Weekly.
Some of Ms. Taylor's most recent books include By Candlelight, Someday Soon, Lakota Dawn, and Lakota Winds (due out in paperback in May 1999). She has also made contributions to other books including The Leukemia Society Cookbook, Christmas Rendezvous, and Summer Love. In addition, readers can see her as co-host of the QVC/TV Romance Book Club Show.
Ms. Taylor's interests include collecting spoons, coins from around the world, ship models, dolls, and old books. She loves to fish, ride horses, play chess, target-shoot, travel (especially in her motorhome and out West), hunt for Indian relics, and take long walks with her husband. Reading, in particular books set before 1900 and current Biographies, Thrillers, Horror, or Fantasy novels, is also one of Ms. Taylor's favorite activities. She is also extremely active with charity work and was even featured on the cover of Diabetes Forecast in February of 1998.
She lives in the country on seventy-nine acres of woods and pasture with a lake and a catfish pond. She writes her novels in a Spanish cottage which overlooks a five-acre lake, a working water mill, gazebo, and covered bridge.
Some of Ms. Taylor's most recent books include By Candlelight, Someday Soon, Lakota Dawn, and Lakota Winds (due out in paperback in May 1999). She has also made contributions to other books including The Leukemia Society Cookbook, Christmas Rendezvous, and Summer Love. In addition, readers can see her as co-host of the QVC/TV Romance Book Club Show.
Ms. Taylor's interests include collecting spoons, coins from around the world, ship models, dolls, and old books. She loves to fish, ride horses, play chess, target-shoot, travel (especially in her motorhome and out West), hunt for Indian relics, and take long walks with her husband. Reading, in particular books set before 1900 and current Biographies, Thrillers, Horror, or Fantasy novels, is also one of Ms. Taylor's favorite activities. She is also extremely active with charity work and was even featured on the cover of Diabetes Forecast in February of 1998.
She lives in the country on seventy-nine acres of woods and pasture with a lake and a catfish pond. She writes her novels in a Spanish cottage which overlooks a five-acre lake, a working water mill, gazebo, and covered bridge.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 26, 2017
This review is of “Bittersweet Ecstasy”, book #7-8th published-in the “Ecstasy/Gray Eagle” series, by Janelle Taylor.
The Story: After a prologue explaining the first six books in the series, readers are re-introduced to Sun Cloud, the hero, and Singing Wind, the heroine of the book. (Sun Cloud is the second son to Alisha Williams and Gray Eagle, and younger brother to Bright Arrow, the hero of the previous two books. Singing Wind also has a history-albeit indirect-with Alisha and Gray Eagle.) As Sun Cloud and Singing Wind progress from childhood friends to lovers, Alisha is shocked when a face from her past arrives. On a sad note, Rebecca Kenny, Bright Arrow’s wife, is missing without a trace.
As the book goes on, the following storylines occur:
Singing Wind and Sun Cloud become lovers.
Singing Wind is ordered to join (marry) with Bright Arrow, whom she doesn’t love. (See above.).
Sun Cloud and Bright Arrow battle over who should succeed Gray Eagle as chief of their band of Teton Oglalas.
Bright Arrow’s two surviving daughters, Little Feet and Tashina, fall in love and face challenges in their love lives.
The Teton Oglala and other Indian tribes continue their long-standing battle against whites and white soldiers, which claims many lives and causes great sadness to the Indians.
A traitor is discovered who betrays their fellow Indians.
Secrets are revealed.
All of the above matters are resolved, Singing Wind and Sun Cloud are joined and they have their Happily Ever After.
Upside: Mrs. Taylor’s books are always well researched. She also does a good job of allowing her characters-male and female-to display their emotions.
Downside: While I felt Mrs. Taylor did a good job keeping her multi-storyline balls in the air, I felt this came at the expense of the stories of Singing Wind and Sun Cloud, who are in only about half of the book. I felt the romance between them is a little weak, lacking romance somewhat. I would have liked to see some of the storylines spread out to other books in the series so that “Bittersweet Ecstasy” didn’t feel so crowded. I would have liked to see the bad guys get their comeuppance a little differently.
Sex: The love scenes in “Bittersweet Ecstasy” are a bit more spicy than usual for Mrs. Taylor’s books, but there are still plenty of Mrs. Taylor’s flowery euphemisms in those scenes.
Violence: There is a lot of violence-assault, battery, murder, and other non-life threatening injuries. Most of the violence isn’t overly graphic.
Bottom Line: The lack of attention to the lead characters Singing Wind and Sun Cloud brings “Bittersweet Ecstasy” down a peg. It’s still a very good book, but there was room for improvement.
The Story: After a prologue explaining the first six books in the series, readers are re-introduced to Sun Cloud, the hero, and Singing Wind, the heroine of the book. (Sun Cloud is the second son to Alisha Williams and Gray Eagle, and younger brother to Bright Arrow, the hero of the previous two books. Singing Wind also has a history-albeit indirect-with Alisha and Gray Eagle.) As Sun Cloud and Singing Wind progress from childhood friends to lovers, Alisha is shocked when a face from her past arrives. On a sad note, Rebecca Kenny, Bright Arrow’s wife, is missing without a trace.
As the book goes on, the following storylines occur:
Singing Wind and Sun Cloud become lovers.
Singing Wind is ordered to join (marry) with Bright Arrow, whom she doesn’t love. (See above.).
Sun Cloud and Bright Arrow battle over who should succeed Gray Eagle as chief of their band of Teton Oglalas.
Bright Arrow’s two surviving daughters, Little Feet and Tashina, fall in love and face challenges in their love lives.
The Teton Oglala and other Indian tribes continue their long-standing battle against whites and white soldiers, which claims many lives and causes great sadness to the Indians.
A traitor is discovered who betrays their fellow Indians.
Secrets are revealed.
All of the above matters are resolved, Singing Wind and Sun Cloud are joined and they have their Happily Ever After.
Upside: Mrs. Taylor’s books are always well researched. She also does a good job of allowing her characters-male and female-to display their emotions.
Downside: While I felt Mrs. Taylor did a good job keeping her multi-storyline balls in the air, I felt this came at the expense of the stories of Singing Wind and Sun Cloud, who are in only about half of the book. I felt the romance between them is a little weak, lacking romance somewhat. I would have liked to see some of the storylines spread out to other books in the series so that “Bittersweet Ecstasy” didn’t feel so crowded. I would have liked to see the bad guys get their comeuppance a little differently.
Sex: The love scenes in “Bittersweet Ecstasy” are a bit more spicy than usual for Mrs. Taylor’s books, but there are still plenty of Mrs. Taylor’s flowery euphemisms in those scenes.
Violence: There is a lot of violence-assault, battery, murder, and other non-life threatening injuries. Most of the violence isn’t overly graphic.
Bottom Line: The lack of attention to the lead characters Singing Wind and Sun Cloud brings “Bittersweet Ecstasy” down a peg. It’s still a very good book, but there was room for improvement.
July 11, 2012
This series was the best love story ever. I dont usually read romance, but this series has a way of pulling you in. There is so much more than just romance to this series but will touch the soft part of your heart.
September 3, 2010
This was the first romance book I had ever read. I was completly addicted to the after that. (not so much anymore) But I can still remember this books every detail. wow I may have to try and find it.
August 16, 2021
Another great one by the author. This book is mainly about brothers Bright Arrow and Sun Cloud.... Which one will become the next Oglala Chief? According to Gray Eagle's (their father) vision years ago, Bright Arrow would be passed over because of marrying Rebecca Kenny (a white Woman). The Chief's bonnet would then be passed to Sun Cloud. However, Bright Arrow receives a vision (highly influenced by his friend Silver Hawk) that he would become the next chief before Sun Cloud. As skirmishes and battles with the whites intensifies, the tribe is split on who should be chief so they decide to wait and see what Grandfather (The spirit) reveals during these skirmishes. Sun Cloud also reveals there is a traitor in the tribe helping the whites and he suspects Silver Hawk. He keeps that suspicion close as he wants to prove Silver Hawk is the traitor. There is a sad part in the book and I had tears for this loss but did not want a spoiler alert in my review. Even through the sad part, the book ends on a good note.
November 20, 2014
Book 7 in the Gray Eagle series. Boring compared to the rest. While the previous 6 books weren't perfect, they were at least entertaining. I found myself skimming pages of this book to get past the details of Indian culture. While I like to learn historical facts even while reading romances, I don't need to learn that much detail.
The high point of this book? Oh, I'd have to say it was the author's love scenes (sex) between a couple in their sixties. Even at 69, Gray Eagle is a stud! And I hope I never have to go through that again!
The story didn't really focus so much on Singing Wind and Sun Cloud as the description would have you think. The story is also about two other couples, Bright Arrow and Rebecca and Tashina and her man. And, oh yeah, Bright Arrow was an idiot in the last book and continues to be an idiot in this book. No wonder the Oglalas and Gray Eagle was Sun Cloud to be the next chief.
The high point of this book? Oh, I'd have to say it was the author's love scenes (sex) between a couple in their sixties. Even at 69, Gray Eagle is a stud! And I hope I never have to go through that again!
The story didn't really focus so much on Singing Wind and Sun Cloud as the description would have you think. The story is also about two other couples, Bright Arrow and Rebecca and Tashina and her man. And, oh yeah, Bright Arrow was an idiot in the last book and continues to be an idiot in this book. No wonder the Oglalas and Gray Eagle was Sun Cloud to be the next chief.
April 10, 2015
Singing Wind had always been mistress of her fate. But when she set eyes on the virile Sun Cloud, the famous Bright Arrow's younger brother, she felt herself losing the control over her life she so cherished. The Sioux beauty fought for her independence like a lioness defending its cubs. But she couldn't stop her pulse from racing, her skin from burning, nor her very core from aching for the handsome brave any more than she could keep the honeybees from the blossoming clover
April 1, 2017
romance taken to another level
April 17, 2017
I liked the couple and wished they would have had more on-page time. A lot of other sub-plots interfered with the romance. Great writing. Well researched.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews